Trump Agrees to Iran Ceasefire, Averts Airstrikes

In a dramatic last-minute turnaround, President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7, 2026, averting threatened U.S. airstrikes on the country's civilian infrastructure just hours before his self-imposed deadline. The agreement, reached after intense negotiations involving Pakistani officials, requires Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that handles about one-fifth of global oil shipments and has been blockaded since hostilities escalated earlier in the year.

The standoff intensified over the Easter weekend, when Trump, absent from public view from April 2 to 5, posted a series of aggressive messages on Truth Social. In one, he warned that "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran," demanding the strait be cleared or face severe consequences. Another post, issued less than 12 hours before the 8 p.m. Eastern Time deadline, stated, "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," while expressing hope for regime change and a "revolutionarily wonderful" outcome. White House officials described the rhetoric as a push for compliance, noting that the U.S. had already achieved...